The Bank Job
by Batman Lamp-Writer
Summary: AU. "You really want to die, don't you? Huh, Protector? 'Cause if that's what you want, I'm more than happy to give it to you!" The gun found itself directly between his eyes. And to think, he was only here on accident....
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So yeah I'm fail at sticking to only a couple stories. Enjoy.

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_Kimi wa dare wo mamotte iru?_

He flinched as the gunman yelled at him. "You really want to die, don't you? Huh, Protector? 'Cause if that's what you want, I'm more than happy to give it to you!"

The gun found itself directly between his eyes. And to think, he was only here on accident….

_**BANG!**_

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"Mom! I'm home!" he called as he walked in the door. It had been a normal day over all. School was, as per usual, all about survival, especially when Dash had come in. But he'd survived yet again, even after Skulker attacked during class. He shook his head, clearing it of those thoughts. "_Mom?_"

"What is it, Danny?" Maddie Fenton, Danny's mother, asked, walking up the stairs and into the kitchen. She was still wearing her hood up, her auburn hair and indigo eyes hidden behind the hood and red goggles.

He blinked. "Oh, uh, sorry. Just…making sure you were here."

She miled, making her seem more human in her blue HAZMAT suit. "Well, here I am," she said, waving her arms out. "And here I go to make supper."

"_NO!_" Danny's voice was quickly doubled by his sister's. She rushed into the room, bright red-orange hair swishing behind her. Their blue eyes pleaded with their mother. "Please," they said, "let one of us cook instead!"

"Really, I don't know _why_ you two always make such a fuss…!"

"We'd rather _not_ be attacked by our dinner, thank you."

"Fine. Jazz can cook. Danny, I 'd like you to run a few errands for me, okay? The list is on the counter, and you can get some money out of our bank account, alright?"

"Yes, Mom," the two teens chorused. Their mom smiled, turning to go back down the stairs.

"If you need me," she called back, "I'll be in the lab!"

Danny and his sister, Jazz, exchanged a look. "…She just conned us, didn't she?" he asked.

"Totally," Jazz replied. "Well, we'd better get started…." She turned to the stove, saying, "The list is right there." She pointed at a slip of paper sitting close to the fridge. Danny picked it up, reading it through.

_Get money at bank. ($100)_

_Pick up groceries (flour, milk, eggs, no fudge no matter how much Jack begs)_

_Run to Wall-to-Wall Mart (soap, Jack's shampoo, Jazz's conditioner, Danny's toothpaste)_

_Head by Supplies R Us (new thermodynamic density compactor, anti-ectoplasm samples)_

He rolled his eyes. "This is gonna take all night!" he complained.

Jazz hissed when the water boiled over the rim of the pot. "And at the rate this is going, so will this."

"Wanna switch?"

"No, Danny. Mom gave us each a job to do, so let's just get it done quick. If you get back in time, you can always fix whatever I screw up."

He grinned. "Alright. I'll be back in an hour or two." Clenching the note in his hand, he walked out the door. "Okay, first stop, the bank."

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Danny had never been more thankful for his hover scooter. The trip to the bank had been cut in half. He rushed towards the door after locking up his scooter and ended up running into someone. Danny jumped back up, bending down and reaching out a hand to the person he'd run into.

"I'm sorry!" he said. "I'm _such_ a klutz! I needa watch where I'm going! Are you okay?"

The man he'd run into glanced up at him. Ice blue locked with hard grey and held for a few minutes. Then the wind picked up, and brown hair fell into grey eyes and blocked them from view. A rough hand stretched out and took Danny's.

Danny blinked before pulling the man up. "I really _am_ sorry, sir," he continued. "I—I'm a horrible klutz. Are—Are you okay?"

As the man stared at him, Danny felt a tingle in the back of his mind. Something wasn't right here. Thanking Tucker for convincing him to go into the Portal, he used his enhanced eyesight to get a closer look at the man. His clothes were baggy and grey to keep attention off of him. Danny knew the combination well, often using it himself to avoid people at school. Blending into the background was a good idea if you were going to get caught and in trouble.

Other than that, only one thing seemed suspicious to Danny. Two of the man's pockets were bulging slightly as though something was in them. The shape they made almost caused Danny to think of—

No, that would just be stupid. Things like that only happened in movies.

He shook his head, eliciting an odd look from the man he'd run into. He blushed. "Eh…my head hurts a little…. Oh, but are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the man's craggly voice stated. "Are you sure _you're_ okay?"

Danny frowned, brow furrowed. "I'm good, yeah."

"You were on your way in?"

Danny must have looked confused, because the man waved towards the bank doors. "You were headed inside, right?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah, I was."

"Well then…" the man pulled open the door. "After you."

Danny half smiled. "Thanks, sir. And sorry."

The man grinned behind Danny's back as he followed him in. "You will be," he hissed, unheard.

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Danny waited in the line, behind a woman who was digging furiously through her purse for her checkbook. Just behind him, the man he'd run into was waiting, impatiently fingering whatever it was in his pocket that made it bulge like that.

Danny listened as the woman two spots in front of him stepped up to the window. "Hi," she said to the teller, "I'd like to cash a check."

"Yes, ma'am," the teller replied, holding out a hand for the check. The woman gave it to her, and she smiled. "Just a moment." The teller turned to the back, disappearing into one of the vaults.

The man behind Danny hissed. "Hurry it up…."

Danny chuckled lightly. "And I thought _I_ was in a rush."

"Yes, well, I have a busy night tonight."

"Eh, so do I. I have to shop for my mom and make it home in time to keep my sister from burning down the house with her cooking."

Now the other man laughed. "Well, it does seem that you have a difficult night, as well."

"As long as our house is still standing when I get home, I'll be fine."

The man gave Danny a long look. "How long do you think it'll take to get done?"

Danny sighed. "I was hoping just an hour or two."

The man shook his head. "With what's happening now, it might take a bit longer than that."

"Definitely."

The teller came back, money in hand. "Here you go," she said, depositing the money on the desk. The woman gladly picked it up and smiled.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Come back soon!" the teller called after her as the woman left. The man behind Danny huffed angrilly as the next woman stepped up, still digging.

"May I help you?" the teller asked, brow furrowed in concern.

The woman glanced up. "No, no…. I know the check's in here _somewhere…._"

"Well, would you mind stepping aside so I can help someone else?" the teller tried as politely as possible.

"No, no, no! I can find it. Just…just wait a moment."

The woman continued to dig. The teller sent an apologetic look to Danny. He could feel the man behind him tense in anger and frustration. The woman reached her whole arm into the bag, digging frantically with a panicked look on her face. She pulled her hand, empty, out of the bag.

"I know… I just _know_ I had it when I left work this afternoon!"

"Ma'am, really, if you need help—!"

"Aha! Look at that!" she said, proudly displaying the slip of paper. "It was in my coat pocket all along!"

"_Finally_," the man sighed.

"Yes," the woman continued. "I'd like to cash this. Oh, but not all twenties. I want three twenties, two tens, two fives, and ten ones, please."

The teller gaped for a moment before accepting the check and turning, her back to the woman. "Just… a moment," she mumbled, still shocked.

Danny sighed. "She could've asked for help."

The man gave him an odd look. "From _who?_ No one could've guessed it was in her _pocket_ that whole time!"

"Eh, I have a knack for finding things. Especially things I don't want to find."

"Really?" The man looked intrigued.

"Yeah. I've never been able to lose my homework, and, trust me, I have _tried_."

The man laughed again. "Seems you have all the luck, huh?"

"Heh, apparently."

The teller came back in and handed the woman her assortment of bills. The woman counted through them carefully three times before nodding her thanks and making her way to the door. Danny sighed as he moved up in line to the desk.

"And how may I help you?" the teller asked, sounding exhausted already.

Before Danny could utter a word, an arm wrapped around his body. Shocked, he glanced back up at the teller's face to see her gaping in fear at something behind him. Unable to ask what was going on due to the tight grip on his waist, he listened as a craggly voice he was beginning to recognize spoke up.

"Nobody move!" it yelled. People everywhere in the bank froze, and it finally dawned on Danny exactly what situation he'd just found himself in. Something metal pressed into the side of Danny's skull. "No one move, or I'll shoot! This is a hold-up! And no one even _think_ about being a hero, or you'll kill him."

…oh _crap…._

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A/N: Slightly different from my norm, I think. Plus, the ending is still undecided, and could go one of many different ways. Hehehe…. Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So fml, internets hated me on Monday. D: So you guys get lucky since I was forced to do basically nothing but write. Lucky you. Also, I only just remembered to post this this morning, so be doubly lucky! Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten it till the weekend.

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Danny could feel himself start to panic, but clamped down on the feeling. That would be the last thing he needed right now.

The gunman pulled Danny into him, and Danny felt his back up against the man's abs. Apparently, the baggy clothes had been worn to hide more than just the gun now pointed at Danny's head.

Danny himself slowly relaxed again. The gunman was yelling for everyone to lie down. They were complying, quickly so as to not anger the man more. When everyone was lying on their stomachs, hands over their heads as they'd been ordered to, the man hissed at Danny, "Now, you're coming with me to _find_ something."

"_Damn_," Danny murmured under his breath. The gunman had found out too much about him from their conversations. After all the ghost fights he'd lived through, he was going to die at the hands of a normal, human crook. Skulker would be so disappointed.

The gunman pulled Danny closer to the desk, the teller behind it still standing. She'd been too shocked to move. "You," the gunman said to her, "open up the desk."

The teller nervously nodded, then pulled the desk top up, allowing the gunman to move into the back, forcing Danny along with him. The teller let them past, watching their backs move steadily down the rows of vaults and safe-deposit boxes that weren't so safe anymore. She watched the gunman show no mercy on the boy when he stumbled. She listened as they spoke.

"Alright, kid," the gunman said, "start looking."

"For _what?_" Danny snarled. "A key? All these boxes are locked _electronically_. A key won't help, and I can't find something inside a locked box."

The gunman growled at him, throwing Danny to the ground and turning to the teller. Danny hit the corner of the boxes with his head, and he had to blink stars out of his eyes as the gunman roughly grabbed the teller's arm and dragged her over. "_She_ can open them! She has the combinations to the boxes, or she can find them if she doesn't. You two _start looking!_"

Danny stood shakily in time to catch the teller when the gunman threw her at him. She held tightly to his arms, shaking in fear. The gunman turned from them to make sure his hostages were secure.

The teller coughed. Danny turned to her, taking in her black, chin-length hair and shockingly violet eyes. "A—Are you okay?" he asked, out of breath.

"I'm good." She sounded surprisingly fine. Danny noticed then that she was right around his age, making her sixteen/seventeen. "What got _you_ into this mess?"

"Heh, ran into the gunman outside. Didn't know then that he was carrying. And I unfortunately let it slip that I'm pretty good at finding stuff."

"Doesn't help when he hasn't told you what to find."

"Too true." He gave her a hand. "I'm Danny—Danny Fenton."

"I know," she replied, smirking. "You're Dash's number one target." At Danny's surprised look, she added, "My locker's just down the hall from you. It's hard to miss someone being stuffed into their own locker each and every day." She took his hand. "Sam Manson. _Not_ Samantha."

"Oh, the Save-the-Frogs Goth girl! Loved the panic you caused by letting loose—er, excuse me, _liberating_—the lab mice. Especially when Paulina nearly fainted."

"Ah, yes, nothing beats the classics." They laughed.

"You two keep looking!" the gunman screamed.

"For _what?_" Danny hollered back, moving slightly in front of Sam. She sent a worried look at his back.

"What else? Cash and jewelry. The more expensive, the better!" The gunman ignored them again.

Danny turned back to Sam. "This place has a silent alarm, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Where?"

"Next to each desk, why?"

"One of us needs to sneak over there and trip it."

"Way ahead of you." She grinned. "I tripped it when I opened up the desk."

His eyebrows jumped up together. "_Niiice_."

"I try."

"You _succeed_."

"If I knew you were this good for my ego, I woulda started talking to you _years_ ago!"

"Eh, I try not to bring attention to myself."

"Didn't work so well here, though, did it?"

"Not at all. Well, since we'll be charged as accessories anyway, why not open up some of these boxes?"

"Just tell me which ones."

Danny turned to look around at them, allowing his eyes to flash green when Sam wouldn't see. Now using the ghostly version of X-ray vision, he pointed out several boxes. "That one, this one, and there."

She nodded, moving to open up the three boxes he'd picked. Inside the first were some money, a few pictures, and some metal pieces. The second held a single photo, and the third a gun. Sam stared in confusion as Danny grabbed a hundred dollars from the first, cursed at the second, and pulled the gun from the third. She watched as he stuffed the money into a pocket and silently checked the gun for bullets. "What are you _doing?_" she hissed.

"These are my mom, sister, and dad's boxes. Mom said get a hundred, so I did. Jazz normally keeps her diary in here, but apparently it's at home. This is the only place Dad trusts to leave his gun. I might need it later, if worse comes to worst. Jazz and I both know how to fire a gun, ecto-modified or not." He put the gun back together and slid it inside one of his patch pockets. "Never been more glad for deep pockets." Then he noticed her face. "What?"

"…We're in a hostage situation, and you tried to get your sister's _diary?_"

He shrugged. "I'm a little brother. It's my job to make her life miserable, regardless of my own situation at the time."

"…I'm _so_ glad I'm an only child…."

"Let's get back to it."

They continued as they'd been, Danny pointing out boxes and Sam unlocking them. Soon, a small pile of jewels and cash was lying at their feet. Sam was finding it very strange that Danny only took a tiny bit of treasure from each of the more wealthy bankers' boxes. Even more intriguing was how he _knew_ which ones wouldn't miss the loot.

The robber came back to check on them just as a siren echoed outside. Gray eyes glared down at Sam. "You bitch! You pulled the alarm!" He raised the gun, ready to hit her, but Danny jumped in the way.

"She didn't! _I_ did! Besides, she's the only one who can unlock the boxes!"

The man scowled before striking Danny with the butt of his gun. He spun back to Sam, snarling, "You're damn lucky I need you two. But one more stunt like _this_ and your little _protector_ is gonna get a bullet in his brain!" He leaned into her face. "_Got it?_"

"Y—Yes," she gasped.

He leaned away. "Good." He turned and left, pacing in the main room.

Sam looked back at Danny, shocked. He was tense, hair in face, casting it into harsh shadows. A bruise was already forming over and to the side of his left eye where the gun hit him. A trickle of blood oozed down from his hairline.

"D—Danny?" she gasped.

Suddenly, the harsh image was gone. He relaxed, head up and out of the shadows. The bruise didn't seem as dark, and the cut was tiny. "S—Sorry," he mumbled. "I just… remembered someone else who—who called me that."

"W—Well, c'mon, we should get back to, ah, 'work'."

He chuckled, completely clearing the previous image from her thoughts. "Alright, let's go."

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It was hardly even ten minutes later when the robber called them over. Cautiously, they went.

He stood by a phone, obviously about to make negotiations. One hand hung limp by the phone, the other balled up tight. His face, too, was twisted in anger. When he saw the two teens, he yelled, "You, Protector."

Danny bristled but nodded.

"What else're you good at? Besides finding stuff?"

"Getting on my parents and sister's nerves?" Danny shrugged.

The man scowled. "Mine, too. I need an _escape_ _route_, though. Anything _there_ you can help me with?"

"I've got my learner's permit."

"I don't needa crash. Anything else?"

Danny bit his lip. "I, uh, know how to…fly."

"What? What can you fly?"

"Just about everything, thanks to online NASA stuff. Except rockets. Can't fly a rocket."

"What about a chopper?"

"Um, sure?"

"Good. How many hostages for a chopper…?"

Danny glanced around. There were two little kids, ten adults, five elderly people, and three other tellers, besides Sam and himself. "Probably seven or more."

The man glared at him. "How ya figure that?"

"W—Well, the police'll want kids and the elderly first. That's seven there, not including the two of us."

He thought for a minute, then nodded. "Seven for a chopper. I'll still need you two."

One of the kids took that moment to ask his mother loudly, "Whenna I get _food?_"

His mother hushed him quickly, blushing, as the robber turned to scowl at them. Danny jumped in the way.

"I—It's a good point, really. We're all probably hungry. Two more hostages for a pizza?"

The man's stomach answered the question. "Fine. But _nothing else_." He finally picked up the phone and walked towards the door, pulling Danny along with him as a human shield in case the police shot at him. Once in front of the glass doors and windows, he waved the phone at the surrounding police. They quickly dialed.

The ring echoed through the room before the man picked up the phone. "Here's my demands. First, I want some pizza. A lot, so I can share, right? Next, I want a helicopter and a safe escape. I'll give you nine hostages for that."

Danny was close enough to hear the police chief's response. "Children and elderly first."

"Of course. Except for my two helpers, you'll get your children and elderly. Oh, and to make sure my demands are met, I'll shoot someone for every thirty minutes you make me wait. Clock's ticking."

A loud thud echoed as he slammed the phone back onto the receiver.

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A/N: Yes, Danny's hero complex WILL be a MAJOR problem later. ^^ You'll see. Read and Review, PLEASE!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I FINISHED IT!!!! The Bank Job will be posted in its entirety. Also, there are two endings, a true ending and an alternate ending. You guys will get to guess which is which.

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The next half hour was the most tense one in all of Danny's life. Pacing again, the robber told everyone to stay in the main room with him, even Sam and Danny. His excuse—"You've found me plenty of loot here. I wanna see it _double_ at the _next _bank we hit."

That seemed to throw Sam off. She sat in a corner, eyes on the floor. Danny wasn't sure if she'd be able to pull herself back together. He sat nearby, every so often patting his pants pocket to remind—her? him?—that he still had the gun. If only he could find a way that it would _help_.

"Hey, Protector."

Danny blinked, looking up to see the robber motioning for him to come over. He stood slowly, then walked to the man. "Yeah?"

"The pizza comes, you go get it. Got it?"

"What about the police? They won't let me leave."

"They'll get their nine. They try to keep you, and I'll shoot one of those kids. You tell them that."

Danny couldn't speak, so he just nodded.

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The phone rang. The robber had it in hand immediately. "Yeah?" he growled. He listened a moment, nodding. Then he motioned Danny over once more. Digging a clawed hand into the boy's shoulder, the robber said, "This is how things'll work. Ten hostages go out, one comes back with the food. You try to keep the tenth, and I'll shoot one of the kids."

Again, Danny listened to the chief's side. "Okay, but we choose who goes back."

"Sorry, I already have. Oh, and you're at twenty-eight minutes, so make the exchange quick." He hung up, yelling and waving for two adults and the seven primary hostages to head to the door. He held Danny back a moment, hissing in his ear. "You get back here in one minute or I'll shoot your little _friend_." He waved the gun at Sam.

Danny gulped, nodded.

"Good. Now _go._"

The man shoved Danny into the line of hostages, and all ten stumbled out the doors.

Policemen were everywhere. The two adults were kept out front while the officers shuttled the kids and elderly away from the scene. One attempted to do the same with Danny.

"Woah!" he shouted. "Wait! You can't—!"

"Let us do our job, kid," the officer pulling him said.

"No, but—!"

"Who's the tenth?" an officer was asking the two adults.

They were frantic. "Neither of _us!_"

"_C'mon_, kid!"

"No! _I'm_ the tenth!"

The policemen froze for a moment. "_You're_ the tenth?" the one who had been questioning the adults said.

"_Yes_," Danny exclaimed, nearly sighing in relief.

The man bit his lip, nodding to the other officer. "Take these two out of here. I'll handle him."

"But—!" the officer complained.

"_Go!_"

He complied, tugging the frantic hostages away.

The man turned back to Danny. "I'm Chief Gibbs. You must be a pretty brave kid." He ruffled Danny's hair, causing the boy to bristle.

"Hey, quit it!" Danny swatted at the offending hand.

Gibbs chuckled, smoothing the front of Danny's shirt before patting his shoulder. "Sorry, kid. I'm trying to get a mike in a place he won't think of."

"Great, so you're both killing us all _and_ making it obvious where it'll be!"

Gibbs smirked. "Am I _really?_ Don't run your hands through your hair, okay, kid?"

Danny blinked, grinned. "_Nice._"

"And try to figure out his name, got it?"

"Yep. Now, I need to run. He only gave me a minute, so I gotta—!"

Gibbs pushed the pizza boxes into Danny's hands. "Go."

Danny nodded, turned, and left.

An officer came up to Gibbs, saying, "You're really gonna trust this whole thing to a _kid?_"

Gibbs slapped him upside the head. "Shut up, DiNozzo."

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Danny rushed in, shoving the pizza at the man. "Here!"

The man glared. "_That_," he snarled, "was _more_ than _one minute_."

"Then shoot _me_. It's my fault, anyway, for taking so long."

"_You're_ flying me outta here, she's _not._"

Sam was cowering away from him, showing a side Danny had _never_ seen at school. "I—I don't need to use my feet or legs to fly. You can shoot _me._" Danny moved in front of her.

"You are trying my patience, Protector. _Move._"

"Just shoot me instead! You're still punishing me for being late!"

A gunshot echoed through the room. Danny gasped, collapsing to the floor to get weight off his bleeding right leg.

The gunman bent down to his eye level, pulling him forward by his shirt. "Let _that_ teach you not to talk to the stupid police!"

Danny hissed in pain as his leg dragged along the ground. The gunman started smoothing out the front of Danny's shirt just as the chief had earlier. "Damn police and their damn mikes…. Where'd he hide it? …Nn…ah! There!" He pulled a tiny black object off the shirt, and Danny had a sinking thought that it had fallen from his hair. "No stupid _cop_ is gonna outsmart _me!_"

Danny thought of the chief's request. "Wait, what? Outsmart _who?_"

"_Me_," the gunman spat. "After all, I _am_ a Ryder, and all Ryders are geniuses!"

Danny grimaced. "Rider? Like a horse rider or bike rider or—?"

"No, you pathetically stupid child! Ryder with a Y!"

"_Oh_…. W—Wait, _what?_" Danny blinked as he remembered that name. "Y—You're…." He fell away from the man as his grip on the shirt loosened.

The man himself appeared to be thinking hard, looking Danny over again. Then he laughed. "Well, well! If it isn't cousin Maddie's little boy! No _wonder_ I pegged you as a Protector! People just don't _change_, do they, kiddo?"

"Apparently not," Danny growled, "seeing as _you're_ still a murdering, sadistic, greedy _bastard!_"

Ryder frowned, then patted Danny's bad leg. "Now, now, Protector, no _fussing_, got it?" He squeezed at the wound, making Danny scream out.

"_I got it!_"

Ryder let go. "Good." He went to the back.

Sam crawled over to a still-panting Danny. "Y—You _know_ him?"

"Sadly enough, he's family."

"What…what happened? Why does he call you that?"

" 'Cause I tried to stop him from killing my sister."

"But, Jazz is—?"

"No, my _twin_ sister. He killed her, when we were little. We could never prove it, since it was his word versus a five-year-old's, so Mom just decided to act as though she'd never had a second daughter. All 'cause I couldn't stop him."

"You were _five!_"

"I still could've _tried!_" Danny snapped. "I _did_ try. But I just couldn't stop him… and I can't stop him now." He shook his head. "What's that stupid saying? 'Those who fail to study history are doomed to repeat it'? Too bad there's _more_ people he'll kill this time around…. We never should've forgot…."

"Danny, there's a _major_ difference between then and now!"

"Oh, yeah? What?"

She smiled. "You aren't alone."

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A/N: Enjoy.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Alright, getting my lazy butt in gear now. Enjoy!

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It was fast approaching an hour since the robber had demanded the chopper, and the police still hadn't gotten one. Ryder was getting anxious. Danny was afraid he'd soon get trigger-happy. He shot nervous looks at his distant cousin every few minutes.

Sam noticed these looks. Just as the hour was about to be up, Ryder stood, fingering the gun. Danny stood slowly, as well, obviously ready to jump in the way. Sam stood, too, walking towards Ryder, who scowled in reply.

"What?" he demanded.

"Shoot me. It's been an hour," she answered.

"Trying to be a protector, too, huh? Danny-boy here'll tell you how hard a role it is, right, cuz?"

Danny scowled as Ryder laughed at him.

Sam moved closer to the gun, frowning. "Just _shoot_ me, dammit!"

Ryder blinked, shrugged. "Fine. I needa shoot someone, anyway. It'll look bad if I don't keep my word, right?" He leaned in, whispering to Sam, "Plus, it'll be fun to see the Protector squirm when everyone else starts getting hurt. He has a problem with that, y'know?"

"Yeah," Sam growled back, "I do."

He scowled in reply, then shot her left shoulder.

She leaned over, gasping in pain and shock.

"_Don't_," he snarled, "talk back to me. _Ever_." He turned and walked away, so Danny took his chance to limp quickly to Sam, making her lie down.

He glanced about catching the eyes of the remaining hostages. "Is anyone here a doctor?"

A young woman nodded.

"How do I help her?"

And so he found himself bandaging Sam's shoulder, apologizing for not having any painkillers. Once he was done with that, the doctor then ordered him to tend to his own wounds.

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I heal fast." He limped towards Ryder, ignoring Sam and the doctor's protests.

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"Well, well, the Protector is comin' to me! What a nice surprise!"

"Next time, shoot me."

Ryder's smile slipped from his face, replaced by a frown. "Where I aim my gun is up to me. You just need to jump the right way."

Danny set his jaw. "I will."

Ryder scowled. "I'm half-tempted to shoot that stupid smile off your face. Or, at the very least, shut you up."

Blue eyes stared him down. "Go ahead and _try_."

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No one knew what was going on back there, but they _did_ hear the fight. Everyone avoided getting closer, worried the man would shoot again. Finally, Ryder stepped back out, dragging a limp, unconscious, obviously beaten Danny behind him. He tossed the boy onto the floor and grabbed the phone and a hostage. Using the hostage as a shield, he again went to the window and waved the phone at the police. It rang not two seconds later.

"I want the copter. _Now_," he demanded. "No, five's too many. I'll give you three. …You keep _arguing_ with me, and you'll have three _bodies!_ You've made me wait an hour already. That's two people, shot and bleeding out. You make me wait another half hour, and I'll double that. It's your choice." He hung up, kicking the phone away as it rang again. Then he turned from the window and dropped the hostage.

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Danny was just waking up as the next half hour came around. He saw his cousin fingering the gun and jumped up, ready to get in the way. As Ryder aimed the gun, Danny moved in front of him.

"Dammit, Protector, _move!_"

"I—I'm doing y—you a favor," Danny mumbled, still weak. "The m—more l—living hostages you have, the more the p—police will l—listen. If you f—freak them out, m—make them _think_ you're killing, they'll just b—barge in once they hear enough g—gunshots."

Even as he was saying the word, his cousin pulled the trigger twice, reaiming quickly in between the two.

Danny gasped and crumpled, a puddle forming beneath him as blood poured from his stomach and knee.

Ryder pulled the teen up by his collar, shaking him. "You want me to make a deal? Cute. But you jump in the way of my shot again, and I'll kill _everyone_. How's _that_ for a _deal_, huh, Protector?"

He dropped Danny, kicking him once before turning away. Sam and the doctor rushed over to Danny, bending down beside him. The doctor checked over all three of his gunshot qounds, pulling off his shirt and tearing it into strips to bandage what she could.

Meanwhile, Sam kept Danny awake. "That's four shots, Danny. Four people down to the police. They're thinking he only has nine healthy hostages, and two of those would be us. They wouldn't have expected for him to shoot his helpers. Whether you know it or not, you're outthinking him, Danny. You can _do_ this. You can finally lock him away, Danny."

The doctor sat back on her legs. "I've done all I can."

Sam nodded and was about to reply when the phone rang. Ryder angrilly stalked over and picked it up. "_What?_" he snarled.

"_We need at least four hostages to get the copter to you."_

"I _said_ three."

"_Yeah, well, copters are expensive. It's four hostages or you'll have to wait."_

"Nn…fine. I'll send four out."

"_Injured first."_

Ryder chuckled. "You just _love_ seeing that damned Protector, don't you? My little helper-cousin?"

"_What do you mean?"_

"He keeps getting in the way of my shot. I've shot him and beat the crap outta him, but he's _still_ getting in the way."

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Gibbs wrote out an order while still speaking to the man. "So, you've shot him four times?" He lifted the paper to show DiNozzo.

It read 'Search Ryder and a murder from eleven years ago. Input the name/nickname Jazz as a sister for the deceased.' DiNozzo took off.

"_No, no,"_ the man on the phone said, _"I shot him __**three**__ times. I shot his friend, the other helper, once, too. She got in the way, like him."_

"So, only two of them are hurt."

"_Yep."_

"So send them and two others."

"_No. You'll get your four, but you won't get my helpers."_

"Alright. We'll get the chopper here, but you'll need to give us more hostages once it gets here."

"_Of course."_ He hung up.

DiNozzo ran back over as Gibbs did the same. "Well?"

"Ian Ryder. Maddie Fenton is the kid's, Danny's, mom. He had two sisters, Jazz and Danielle, but Danielle was found dead, by Danny, eleven years ago. Danny said it was Ryder, but no one believed him."

"Do we know yet who the hostages are?"

"Four tellers—Sarah Goode, Tom McLeod, Johnathan Smith, and Sam Manson. Sam's the only other teen besides Danny."

"There should be eight others."

"Yes. Louis Rhodes, Julianna Andrews, Steven Jones, Ashley Davis, Virginia Anderson, Anthony Richards, Jefferey Woods, and Dr. Laura Katz."

"Doctor?"

"Yes. From what we can tell, she's at least attempting to help any injured. She's also been keeping everyone calm."

Gibbs nodded. "We need to get her to stay in there."

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Ryder quickly gathered up two of the adults and two tellers, shoving them towards the door. While he was busy with that, Sam bent over Danny to check that the gun was still in his pocket. The doctor noticed and shifted to hide whatever Sam was about to do from Ryder.

Sam pulled out the gun, fingering it, realizing she was one bullet away from escape. How had Danny kept from shooting? Glancing about gave her her answer. There were still too many people who could get hurt.

She sighed and put the gun away in her own pocket. It'd be better off with her, seeing how Danny kept Ryder's eyes on him.

The doctor moved back. "What are you planning?" she asked quietly.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I just know I'll have a better chance than Danny at nailing this guy."

The doctor chuckled. "That's for sure. I am Laura Katz." She extended a hand.

Sam smirked, taking it. "Sam Manson. This is Danny Fenton."

Dr. Katz smiled sadly, looking down at him. "He's very brave."

Sam snorted. "Or stupid."

Dr. Katz glanced back at her. "Then so are you."

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Danny woke up again after the hostages left. He glanced around, slightly panicked and just barely refraining from shifting into his ghost-mode. He couldn't risk exposing his secret with all the police and reporters right outside, and he wasn't too sure of the other hostages. "Where—?"

"He gave four hostages to quicken the time to get the copter," Sam said.

"Any ideas on making him give up seven more?"

Sam snorted again. "Yeah, kill him."

Danny glared at her.

Dr. Katz frowned at them both. "How about this? I saw the—" she nodded at Danny's pocket where the gun had been— "so how 'bout we get the hostages out of your line?"

The two teens blinked at her. "That's…a good idea…."

She smirked. "Well, _one_ of us better have their head together." Then she moved off to organize the hostages, leaving Danny and Sam the task of distracting Ryder and convincing him to let the hostages stay where Katz put them.

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"Oh, so the mighty Protector's awake, huh?" Ryder snarled.

"Yeah, I am."

"You watch that punk little attitude or I'll—_what's goin' on over there?_" he growled when he saw the hostages shuffling about.

Sam stood in his way. "If they're all together, they'll be easier to manage."

"Easier to kill them all if someone gets in my shot again, too," Ryder stated, glaring at Danny.

Who sent an equally vicious glare back. "You'll have to shoot _me_ first," he declared.

Ryder cocked the gun. "_That can be arranged."_

"You'd blow any chance at escape."

"How ya figure?"

"I'm your ride outta here."

"So I don't kill ya. Doesn't mean I can't _shoot_ ya."

Danny inhaled sharply, wishing he hadn't phrased his ultimatum so loosely.

Ryder grinned. "I'm right, aren't I? The big, bad Protector's run outta ideas!" He chuckled. "Just like last time, huh? You ran outta ideas then, too."

Danny's hands balled into fists, his whole body shaking.

Frightened, Sam backed away some. She could've sworn his eyes had flashed green….

Ryder laughed. "Couldn't even save your _sister_, but you think you can save _them?_" He gestured with his gun towards the hostages.

Danny moved to block his aim.

Suddenly, Ryder wasn't laughing. "What'd I tell you, huh?! You _want_ me to kill all of them?!"

"You dealt with the cops," Danny began, "now, you deal with me. Let three more go."

"No. Cops were givin' me somethin' in return. Whadda _you _got for me?"

"Me. You'll have your ride. I won't get in your way again. In return, you send half the hostages out."

"How do I know you'll hold to that deal?"

"You're the one with the gun," Danny said boldly. "If I don't, you can shoot me."

"Or," Ryder replied, raising his gun, "I can shoot you _now_."

The hostages, who had been murmuring, all went silent.

Danny bit the inside of his lip. "You could," he admitted.

Ryder chuckled again, cocking the gun. "You really want to die, don't you? Huh, Protector? 'Cause if that's what you want, I'll be more than happy to give it to you!"

The gun sat dead between Danny's eyes, and the teen stared the man down as his finger tightened on the trigger.

_**BANG!**_

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A/N: K. So the two alternate endings will be posted nearly simultaneously. Let me know, after they're posted, which you think should be/is the real ending. See you soon! BYE!


	5. Ending One

A/N: Yay Easter break! And here's the first version of the ending.

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There was a scream and a second shot. Danny collapsed. Ryder collapsed. A smoking gun was in Ryder's hand. A second was in Sam's.

The hostages fled out the broken glass window. Dr. Katz stood next to the hole, helping people through after having tossed a loaded purse through it. The sound of the glass breaking had been masked by the two shots and the screams.

Dr. Katz was too focused on helping the hostages to see the aftermath of the gun fire. She was also too focused to see the police burst in. She did, however, lose focus once a cop began trying to usher her to safety as well.

It was at that moment that she spun to the three. Sam was kneeling by Danny, gun on the ground next to her. The cops were all over Ryder, who was bleeding badly. The man still managed to thrash and try to get at Danny as they pulled him away.

Dr. Katz tugged free from the policeman trying to help her and rushed over to Sam and Danny. She knelt by them. "Where was he hit?"

"I—I d—don't kno—ow," Sam stuttered. The girl was shaking, surprised at herself and her friend. Herself for shooting a man, and her friend for standing up to a man who was pointing a gun at this head.

Dr. Katz checked Danny over. Finally, she found the entry point. "It—It hit him right below his collar bone, right above his heart. I need you to help me keep him from bleeding out."

Sam nodded, following all her instructions. Meanwhile, the police rushed about, helping the hostages and trying to get paramedics in.

"Wh—What _happened?_" the chief asked as he came over to them.

Dr. Katz turned to Sam. She was about to ask the same thing.

Sam shook her head. "Th—They w—were go—going at i—it agai—ain."

"Take your time," Gibbs soothed her.

"D—Danny was m—mad, so I—I m—moved aw—away. I kn—know he'd be m—madder if I—I got hur—rt. I s—saw D—Dr. Katz get r—ready to brea—eak the w—window, s—so I tr—tried to keep th—them from v—view. B—But then Ryd—der pull—lled his gun, so I p—pulled the o—one Dan—ny had grab—bed earlier. The—They d—didn't even n—notice."

"Then what?" Gibbs prompted when Sam sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. The paramedics had finally gotten through and rushed Danny off.

"H—He raised the g—gun, and I—I c—copied him, 'cau—cause I knew he'd t—try to kill D—Danny. B—But the—they still t—talked m—more. I th—thought Dann—nny had sto—opped him, b—but then R—Ryder aimed, and I aimed, and I pulled the trigger, and I shot him, but he didn't die, and he shot Danny, and Danny's dying because of me!"

Sam openly sobbed now, leaning heavilly on Dr. Katz. The doctor wrapped her arms around Sam before looking at the chief. "There won't be any consequences, correct?"

"No," Gibbs said, "thank God. She can rightly claim self-defense, and I'm sure the other hostages will attest to that. Now, we need to know what charges we can get Ryder on and hope that the ki—Danny will recover."

"It won't be easy for him."

"I know," Gibbs sighed. "He was shot four times now, right?"

"Leg, stomach, knee, and above the heart."

"And you were shot, too, right, miss?" he asked of Sam.

She nodded. "B—but I'm f—fine. You—You need to tell th—the Fen—ntons about—"

"_Danny!_" a feminine voice screamed from outside. "Where's my son? Where's my Danny?!"

Gibbs stood and went to the distraught woman. Dr. Katz and Sam could only watch as he broke the news to Mrs. Fenton.

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"Are you Maddie Fenton?" Gibbs guessed as he walked towards her.

"Y—Yes! I am! Where's my son?"

"He's being taken to the hospital, ma'am."

A hand flew to her mouth. "What…?" she gasped.

"He's been shot several times over the last few hours, all to stop the robber from hurting any of the hostages."

"W—Will he be alright?"

"We don't know yet. He's in the ER."

"And—And the man who did this, did you—?"

"We have him in custody, ma'am. Thanks to your son and a brave classmate of his." Gibbs nodded towards Ryder.

Maddie turned to look. Ryder smirked upon seeing her, and she scowled.

"Do you know this man?" Gibbs asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. He's my cousin. He also killed my daughter eleven years ago, but he wasn't charged."

"I see. Anything else, ma'am?"

"Yes. A painless death would be too good for him." She turned to go back to her car, getting in and rushing off to the hospital.

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"This just in—after just three hours, the hostage situation at the Amity Park Bank has come to a close. Police have the would-be robber in custody, being treated for a gunshot to the side. Two teens—names and pictures held back to protect their identities—were also shot. One was treated while inside the Bank by a Dr. Laura Katz. The other was taken to Amity Park Hospital's ER as soon as the robber, one Ian Ryder, was taken in. He is still in critical condition.

"More as we hear it. Back to you, Lance."

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"Geez, Superman," Sam said, rolling her eyes, "think you could _not_ make headlines for a few days?"

Sure enough, Danny and Sam's annonymity had quickly been shattered after the incident. Kids at school had quickly noticed that Sam avoided wearing the sleeveless shirts and tank tops she normally donned for T-shirts and jackets instead. And, since Danny wasn't allowed to leave the hospital yet, their classmates realized he was the other teen involved.

Thankfully, the press hadn't told the whole story, so they simply assumed he'd been an unlucky hostage.

While staying at the hospital, Danny had gotten frequent visits from his parents, sister, friend Tucker, and Sam. Dr. Katz had even taken over his case. After what they'd gone through taking care of him during the robbing, Sam and Dr. Katz were filled in on Danny's status as a half-ghost.

His sister and Tucker were concerned, at first, but quickly found that it both made his stay at the hospital simpler and that the two were trustworthy.

However, Sam still enjoyed teasing him about it.

"Seriously, quit it with the 'Superman', okay?" he complained. Then he smiled. "Unless you want me to call you Lois…?"

She scowled. "Shut it."

He laughed as Tucker walked in. "Hey, guys. So, Dan, while you were making headlines, your sis made the news."

Danny blinked. "Wha—?"

Tucker chuckled, then slipped a portable DVD player into Danny's lap. He waved Sam over, then pressed play.

"And in other news," the reporter said, "local teen almost burns down house due to watching TV while making dinner."

Danny burst out laughing. "That's right! She was cooking when I left! How—? What happened?"

"Like they said, she'd been watching TV while cooking, and her show cut to the scene of the robbery. She apparently fainted when she saw you there. Lucky your mom was still home, or the place would've burnt down."

"Lucky my mom knows how to put out fires better than she knows how to cook."

That caused them all to laugh, but Danny cut into a coughing fit. His two friends panicked, trying to calm him.

"I—I'm okay. J—Just too much t—talking." He laid a hand on the gun wound above his heart, wincing slightly.

The mood turned somber. Sam and Tuck both remembered how close a call it'd been for Danny after getting to the ER. The bullet had caused unnecessary pressure on his left lung, so far a while, Danny had been in an oxygen mask, unable to breathe on his own. It had taken a while, but Danny was finally able to have the mask off. There were still times, and would be for a while, where he would break out in coughing fits, either from too much talking or attempting to breathe too deeply. Only the most harmful bit of pressure had been able to be taken off his lung, so he had to be careful.

Still, Dr. Katz had assured his parents that Danny would fully recover, though he may have asthma. To Danny and his friends, it was as though the second part had never been said—except for moments like this, where the asthma acted up.

But, as Danny got used to it, those moments became few and far between. Sam, and Tucker later as well, attributed Danny's amazing healing to the fact that he'd finally gotten to see Ryder arrested and put behind bars.

With Ryder in custody, Maddie's family all had quickly stepped forward with stories of crimes that happened in their hometowns while Ryder was 'visiting'. With all the witnesses and testimonies, Ryder had been sentenced to life.

And there had been much rejoicing among the Fentons and friends.

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A/N: Vote which ending you think should be the 'true' ending!


	6. Ending Two

A/N: Yay Easter break! And here's the second version of the ending.

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There was a scream and a second shot. Danny collapsed. Ryder collapsed. A smoking gun was in Ryder's hand. A second was in Sam's.

The hostages fled out the broken glass window. Dr. Katz stood next to the hole, helping people through after having tossed a loaded purse through it. The sound of the glass breaking had been masked by the two shots and the screams.

Dr. Katz was too focused on helping the hostages to see the aftermath of the gun fire. She was also too focused to see the police burst in. She did, however, lose focus once a cop began trying to usher her to safety as well.

It was at that moment that she spun to the three. Sam was kneeling by Danny, gun on the ground next to her. The cops were all over Ryder, who was bleeding badly. The man still managed to thrash and try to get at Danny as they pulled him away.

Dr. Katz tugged free from the policeman trying to help her and rushed over to Sam and Danny. She knelt by them. "Where was he hit?"

"I—I d—don't kno—ow," Sam stuttered. The girl was shaking, surprised at herself and her friend. Herself for shooting a man, and her friend for standing up to a man who was pointing a gun at this head.

Dr. Katz checked Danny over. Finally, she found the entry point. "It—It hit him right below his collar bone, right above his heart. I need you to help me keep him from bleeding out."

Sam nodded, following all her instructions. Meanwhile, the police rushed about, helping the hostages and trying to get paramedics in.

"Wh—What _happened?_" the chief asked as he came over to them.

Dr. Katz turned to Sam. She was about to ask the same thing.

Sam shook her head. "Th—They w—were go—going at i—it agai—ain."

"Take your time," Gibbs soothed her.

"D—Danny was m—mad, so I—I m—moved aw—away. I kn—know he'd be m—madder if I—I got hur—rt. I s—saw D—Dr. Katz get r—ready to brea—eak the w—window, s—so I tr—tried to keep th—them from v—view. B—But then Ryd—der pull—lled his gun, so I p—pulled the o—one Dan—ny had grab—bed earlier. The—They d—didn't even n—notice."

"Then what?" Gibbs prompted when Sam sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. The paramedics had finally gotten through and rushed Danny off.

"H—He raised the g—gun, and I—I c—copied him, 'cau—cause I knew he'd t—try to kill D—Danny. B—But the—they still t—talked m—more. I th—thought Dann—nny had sto—opped him, b—but then R—Ryder aimed, and I aimed, and I pulled the trigger, and I shot him, but he didn't die, and he shot Danny, and Danny's dying because of me!"

Sam openly sobbed now, leaning heavilly on Dr. Katz. The doctor wrapped her arms around Sam before looking at the chief. "There won't be any consequences, correct?"

"No," Gibbs said, "thank God. She can rightly claim self-defense, and I'm sure the other hostages will attest to that. Now, we need to know what charges we can get Ryder on and hope that the ki—Danny will recover."

"It won't be easy for him."

"I know," Gibbs sighed. "He was shot four times now, right?"

"Leg, stomach, knee, and above the heart."

"And you were shot, too, right, miss?" he asked of Sam.

She nodded. "B—but I'm f—fine. You—You need to tell th—the Fen—ntons about—"

"_Danny!_" a feminine voice screamed from outside. "Where's my son? Where's my Danny?!"

Gibbs stood and went to the distraught woman. Dr. Katz and Sam could only watch as he broke the news to Mrs. Fenton.

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"Are you Maddie Fenton?" Gibbs guessed as he walked towards her.

"Y—Yes! I am! Where's my son?"

"He's being taken to the hospital, ma'am."

A hand flew to her mouth. "What…?" she gasped.

"He's been shot several times over the last few hours, all to stop the robber from hurting any of the hostages."

"W—Will he be alright?"

"We don't know yet. He's in the ER."

"And—And the man who did this, did you—?"

"We have him in custody, ma'am. Thanks to your son and a brave classmate of his." Gibbs nodded towards Ryder.

Maddie turned to look. Ryder smirked upon seeing her, and she scowled.

"Do you know this man?" Gibbs asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. He's my cousin. He also killed my daughter eleven years ago, but he wasn't charged."

"I see. Anything else, ma'am?"

"Yes. A painless death would be too good for him." She turned to go back to her car, getting in and rushing off to the hospital.

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"This just in—after just three hours, the hostage situation at the Amity Park Bank has come to a close. Police have the would-be robber in custody, being treated for a gunshot to the side. Two teens—names and pictures held back to protect their identities—were also shot. One was treated while inside the Bank by a Dr. Laura Katz. The other was taken to Amity Park Hospital's ER as soon as the robber, one Ian Ryder, was taken in. He is still in critical condition.

"More as we hear it. Back to you, Lance."

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"And in other news, local teen almost burns down house due to watching TV while making dinner. Luckily, her mother was at home and put out the fire before it spread too far."

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"Geez, Superman," Sam said quietly, "you just can't stay out of the headlines, can you?"

Tucker sighed next to her. "Of course he can't. He's never been able to, Fenton or—or not."

After what they'd gone through taking care of him during the robbing, Sam and Dr. Katz were filled in on Danny's status as a half-ghost. Tucker and Jazz had taken on the job of telling them, realizing that they deserved it after helping him so much. It had taken a while, but both Tuck and Jazz got used to having two more people in on the secret.

But then Danny took a turn for the worst.

The pressure by his heart and lungs had become too much. He'd lived for a week on an oxygen mask and an IV, but it still didn't save him. His lungs had started to collapse, and it got to the point where he told his parents to take him off the support.

They protested, of course. However, they soon realized that he was determined to attempt surviving on his own.

So they took him off. For a week, he managed to live on his own power, and his friends, sister, and parents visited everyday. He appeared happy, but unable to speak, having to write out what he wanted to say on a notepad by his bed.

They continued in this way for a while, and Danny seemed to be getting better.

Especially when they found out that Ryder had been sentenced to life. With Ryder in custody, Maddie's family all had quickly stepped forward with stories of crimes that happened in their hometowns while Ryder was 'visiting'.

And there had been much rejoicing among the Fentons and friends.

The whole extended family (Maddie's side, that is) came to see Ryder be put away. And while they were visiting, they stopped by to see Danny.

In fact, a lot of people stopped over to see him. Kids at school had found out that he was one of the two teens in the news, having quickly noticed that Sam avoided wearing the sleeveless shirts and tank tops she normally donned for T-shirts and jackets instead. And, since Danny wasn't allowed to leave the hospital yet, their classmates realized he was the other teen involved.

They came to see him all the time, especially after the news reporters announced that he'd been the one to help put Ryder behind bars. The table by his bed was soon filled and even overflowing with Get Well Soon! cards and flowers. The flowers had to be moved after the doctors realized they were causing Danny even more difficulty with his breathing.

Dr. Katz had taken charge of Danny's case, trying to help as much as she could and doing more than his other doctors because she knew of his half-ghost status. For a while, he was doing better. He'd even started joking around with his friends and laughing again, even though the laughing would quickly turn into coughing fits.

Sam and Tucker were just pleased to have their friend back, even if they could only see him at the hospital. They got to a point where Danny was joking with them (using the notepad, of course), and it seemed he'd fully recovered, even despite his inability to speak.

So it was a shock to them all when Dr. Katz wouldn't let them in to see him one day.

They had, of course, been annoyed. They pleaded with her to let them in, but it wasn't until the Fentons came that she told them the bad news.

Danny's lungs had fully collapsed overnight. The left one just gave out, and Dr. Katz had given him some medication to deaden the pain. He had passed in his drug-induced sleep.

Which is why Sam and Tucker were standing out in the rain, speaking to a stone.

"H—He should've made it," Sam said. "After all he did to stop Ryder—" She sighed. "He could've at least used his powers to stop him…."

"He wouldn't have. He faced Ryder the first time before he got his powers. He wanted to take him down without them, and he did." Tucker hugged Sam. "He managed to put Ryder away. That's really all he's wanted to do since he met him."

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A/N: Vote which ending you think should be the 'true' ending!


End file.
